


Beautiful Sin

by Kyuubiluver342



Series: The Alien King and The Man Of Iron [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-21 19:06:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14291442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyuubiluver342/pseuds/Kyuubiluver342
Summary: Alien AU: Steve is an alien king, coming to Earth to find sanctuary for his people. Tony Stark is Iron Man, trying to protect Earth from this alien invasion. Can love bloom? Part 1 of The Alien King And The Man Of Iron series.





	Beautiful Sin

Beautiful Sin

The day the aliens landed, no one was sure what to do. There was mass panic as their ships appeared on the horizon, soon landing on the bay of the Atlantic Ocean, their ships floating just above the salty water. The several different governments sent out their militaries, equipped with every weapon known to mankind, just waiting for the moment where this intergalactic war might begin. As they waited, the ships opened their doors and, much to the shock of everyone, human looking beings stepped out. Sure, they were bigger than most humans with larger muscles, but human looking faces stared back at the armies as they stepped onto the sands. One of them stepped past the others and stood there, arms behind his back and aura of power around him.

“I wish to speak to your leader.” The man’s voice boomed across the area and many looked at each other, uncertain, wary of what to do.

There was a flash and suddenly, a being landed between the army and the invaders, kneeling in the sand before shifting to a stand. Dressed in armor of red and gold, the creature stood tall and to the humans, stood like a beacon of light and hope. The alien leader raised an eyebrow, a very human emotion of confusion and curiosity appearing on his face. The other creature stepped forward, arms out in greeting.

“Good afternoon, I’m afraid our leader isn’t here, but he sent me in his place. Name’s Iron Man.” Voice was robotic in a way, but clear as day.

The alien leader nodded and crossed his arms across his large chest. His soldiers stood on either side of him, ready for anything that humans had planned. Several humans shifted to a fighting stance, but Iron Man held up his hand and they backed down/

“My name is Stevelousin. I am the leader and King of the Seruims. We have crossed the cosmos in the hopes of creating a treaty with your people and to request humble sanctuary on your planet.” The leader said and the red man nodded.

“Sounds great! I mean a little warning would have been nice. A note, a phone call, we would have had tea ready for you all if you had given us a little forewarning, but hey, I have been told I am quick on my feet and I am sure we can work something out. So, can I call you Steve because that name, as amazing as it is, is a mouthful and I will most likely never remember to pronounce it correctly. Not that it isn’t a nice name and I am sure it means something wonderful on your planet, but for now, Steve works for me. Anyway, I’m sure we can set up something nice between our two planets.” Iron Man said, waving his hands and talking loudly.

The alien leader blinked, looking utterly confused by the other man before turning to an alien, who looked like a red haired woman, standing next to him. He seemed to be asking her opinion without words, which she seemed to give with a tilt of her head. Finally, he nodded, relaxing his stance a bit to appear more friendly.

“Very well, Iron Man. I did not mean any disrespect. We had attempted communication to no avail. So we came to see if this planet still had life.” The newly appointed Steve said and Iron Man chuckled.

“No worries there, your highness. Our technology can be a little behind, so I am sure it was just a crossed wire. Now, let’s get you guys some place nicer. I mean I am all for long walks on the beach, but I am sure you guys want a nice hot shower and some food.” Iron Man stated as he walked over and wrapped an arm around Steve’s neck.

The warriors tensed, all ready to come to the aid of their king, but the king let out a barking laugh and they relaxed. He seemed oddly amused by this fast talking robot man.

“Yes, I do believe that sounds nice. My people will stay here, but I insist Natashaver and Buckylines come with me.” The king stated.

Iron Man nodded, he could see the strategy there and couldn’t help, but wonder how similar they were to actual humans.

“Sounds like a party to me. Now, let’s go. I feel like we have a lot to talk about.” Iron Man waved them his way.

Iron Man walked past the army and towards camp. Generals were quick to come to him, hissing and whispering under their breaths at him, but he waved them off and kept going. They ended up at a cabin nearby, where Steve sat down at the only table with Natashaver and Buckyline on either side of him. The man of iron leaned against a wall as he pulled out a small device and placed it on the floor. Soon enough, the President, along with several UN members appeared in the form of holograms, all looking extremely nervous.

“Mr. President, Gentlemen, I have here Stevelousin, King of the Seruims.” Iron Man stated and with that, the discussions began.

“What is it you wish with our planet, your highness?” The President asked and the alien king sighed.

“Some time ago, our home planet was destroyed by the alien race known as Hydraians. We were able to escape with the few people you see aboard my ships, but we were looking for a planet that could hold life. We have crossed the cosmos and found only your planet to have anything close to what we need to survive. Our planet was much like yours is now and I was hoping to find sanctuary here for my people.” The king stated.

Iron Man tuned most of it out as he studied the man before him. He was tall with broad shoulders. Blond hair, cut short, lay on his head and he had eyes as blue as the sky. He was handsome and Iron Man could admit that openly. He watched as the king discussed the treaty he wished to sign, what the qualifications were and so on, meanwhile the President and UN leaders listened. As the meeting came to a close, Iron Man spoke up.

“Mr. President, I do believe it would be quite rude of us to leave the king and his people living on the beach, so might I suggest some housing? I know of a few housing projects Stark Industries were working on that would easily hold the king and his people.” Iron Man stated and he could see the king looked rather impressed.

“I would appreciate that generosity greatly. My people have travelled a long way and I am sure they would be happy to stretch their legs.” The king said humbly.

The President seemed to think about it before nodding. It was a good strategy, keep them in one area where they could be watched while at the same time showing some humanity to these beings.

“Mr. Stark, I appreciate your offer and if his highness has already agreed to it, then who am I to say no?” the man stated and Iron Man was already making the accommodations in his head.

“No problem, Mr. President. I can have them moved in in no time.” He stated.

The President still looked a little unsure, but after some more convincing, he agreed and Iron Man was pleased to know that he was helping, even a little.

“Your majesty. I also wish to thank you and your Iron Man for your hospitality. We are forever grateful.” The king said and with that, the com went down.

The king sighed, rubbing his eyes. He looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He stood up and Iron Man straightened up as well. The king placed a hand on the robot’s shoulder, nearly knocking him off balance with the weight of it.

“Thank you, Iron Man. You have no idea what this means to my people.” The king stated and Iron Man pat his hand.

“Don’t thank me yet, I will need a full count of your people, any sick or elderly that need special care and anything that the housing will need to accommodate your people.” Iron Man started to list out anything they would need and while the king seemed rather impressed, he also seemed a bit overwhelmed.

“Iron Man, if I may ask, could you give us some time to talk it over with our people first and then I can let you know of what we found?” Steve stated.

The robot man paused before nodding.

“Of course! How silly of me. Let’s get you back and I will set up everything else.” The man replied.

They returned to the beach and the king disappeared into his ship with his people, leaving the beach empty besides Iron Man. With an international and possibly intergalactic crisis averted, Iron Man returned home, utterly exhausted. Removing his suit, Tony Stark walked over to his couch and threw himself down on it. Exhausted from the stressful day, he slept peacefully.

Over the next few days, Iron Man regularly visited the alien group. He quickly learned there were not as many aliens as first believed, only about fifty or so, making housing that much easier to find and set up. He also learned that while these people lived longer lives than humans, they had mostly the same functions, such as the need for shelter, food, water and so on. He also learned more about the king of these people.

Steve was a caring, but stern king. He put his people first in all situations and he truly wanted what was best. He fought hard to protect his people and to make sure that they got what they needed. As they spent the days together, Tony got a better idea of what these people were like and did find them to be a bit livelier than the humans he was used to. Two weeks later, the housing was ready. Gathering a few volunteers, he had the aliens move to an area near New Jersey, where the new housing was set up. The volunteers helped the new aliens move into their homes while Tony and Steve watched, making sure to keep the peace. The sun was high that day and even in his air conditioned suit, Tony started to sweat.

“Man, it is hot today.” He muttered and the king turned his way.

“Is it? My people do not feel heat or cold, so I cannot tell. Are you alright, Iron Man?” the king asked.

“I am fine, your highness. I think I am just going to take off my suit for the moment.” He replied.

The king looked startled as the suit opened and Tony stepped out. He ran his fingers through his hair as the suit changed to sentry mode.

“Iron Man! You are a human?” Steve asked shocked and Tony looked at him.

“Well, of course. I mean Iron Man is what the suit is called. You can just call me Tony.” He said with a smile and the king looked amazed.

“So your suit is not your skin? Did you make this?” he asked as he looked over this new form.

How odd to think that a human had been inside the suit the whole time! What a marvel. He had just assumed it was a robot, like the ones Tony had shown them and helped them move his people. He had never considered that anything was inside the suit. Tony laughed a bit.

“I apologize, Steve. I am so used to people just knowing I’m in there. Yes, I made the suit and everything in it. People call me a genius, but I just like to think I tinker with things.” Tony explained.

As they stood there, they spoke of many things. Steve spoke of their old planet, the beauty and marvel of it all and how the invaders had destroyed it, taking many of his people from him. Tony listened to it all and felt himself sympathize with the king. He had to watch his planet be destroyed and to come all this way to Earth in hopes they would be taken in. Tony just listened as Steve spoke of each of his generals and their accomplishments, learning that Natashaver and Buckylines were the last of his once great general army. He must have truly cared for them. The suit suddenly came to life and moved forwards, startling the king, who pushed Tony behind him, ready to fight and defend.

“Sir, Miss Potts is on the line. She wishes to speak to you.” The suit stated and Tony sighed as he moved past the king, who now seemed a little more than amazed.

“The suit talks?” he asked.

“No, that’s just Jarvis, my AI. Patch her through.” Tony said as he stepped back into the suit.

The king watched as the suit closed and all was quiet for the longest time before Tony’s voice came over.

“I apologize, Steve, but it looks like I have to go. Duty calls and all that. I’ll be back soon. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns with the move in!” the man stated and with that flew off before the king even really had time to say anything.

The king was left standing there, marveling at the speed in which the man flew. It was then a cough got his attention. Natashaver, who’s name had been shortened to “Nat” by Tony on day two and while she would die before admitting it she rather liked it, stood there, looking quite amused, but also concerned.

“Yes?” the king asked as they started to walk.

“I have spoken with some of the humans, as you asked, my king.” She stated and he nodded.

“And?” he replied and she sighed.

“They are mixed and quite mixed at that. Many here like Iron Man, claim he is a good soul and what not, but others hate him openly and honestly. There are many who have expressed quite…violent thoughts towards him.” She stated and the king frowned.

“He has been nothing, but good to us. I only asked you about this to find out if he has alter motives.” The king stated and she nodded.

“I agree, but many are claiming that he was a Merchant of Death at one point. While I am not quite sure what it means, many have told me he was known for making weapons at one point. Deadly weapons of mass destruction, though apparently he stopped that a few years ago after going missing in some place called Afghanistan. I am still gathering more information on it.” She stated.

The king nodded and she went on her way as he continued to watch his people. He had to admit, this was better than he had even believed would happen. His best expectants? To be given a small island and told to go away. His worst? To have his people murdered or enslaved by the Earth’s population, to watch the last of his people die out before his eyes. To meet Mr. Stark had been a god send and one that continued to be fruitful. The man seemed to be able to talk to anyone and get his way, making it easier for Steve and his people, yet Steve couldn’t help, but wonder why. Why help them? He had to make sure his people were safe and if that meant digging into his new ally’s past, then so be it.

A few hours later, Tony returned, but the suit he came in was different. Unlike the red and gold one, this one was smaller with a black and blue color scheme. The king was a little startled by this.

“How many suits do you have?” he asked curiously as he studied the new suit, poking at it and watching the limbs move without anyone inside to pilot it.

“A lot. Like I said, I like to tinker. I’ve made a suit for just about any occasion.” Tony replied from his place nearby.

He seemed tired, a little wearier than he had earlier. The king had to wonder what had caused his new ally to age so much. The man was idly rubbing his chest too, a strange habit the king had noticed when they had first met.

“Is something on your mind?” Steve asked and Tony blinked.

“Ah I apologize. I had to take care of some minor issue earlier today and I find myself a little tired.” Tony stated.

The king paused and sat beside him, looking in his eyes and Tony leaned back a bit. It was a little unnerving to have someone look that deeply at him. He felt like the man was staring into his soul.

“Um, Steve? Little space here?” Tony asked moving back, almost falling off his chair.

Steve paused and sighed looking away. Tony found himself feeling a little confused, wondering what Steve seemed to look for in him so badly.

“I apologize, Tony. I find myself at a bit of a loss because I still do not understand what you gain from this. My people have food, homes and safety. It is much more than I ever believed when leaving our home planet behind. You have helped us all so much and yet I feel like I don’t know anything about you or your motives. Until today, I did not even know your real face. I feel like I should be more cautious around you. My people need my judgement and yet, I have no idea if you are truly our ally or just someone trying to use us.” Steve stated and Tony paused.

Tony felt a little cold. He had helped the man because he believed it to be the right thing, but even this man thought the worst of him, despite not knowing Tony’s past. Believed he was doing it for a reason. Tony just sighed as he got to his feet and moved towards his suit.

“Steve, don’t. I help because I want to, not because I believe I can get anything out of this. I don’t have any reason to lead you or your people on like this. I just wish more people could accept that, but if you want to believe that worst, then go ahead. Most people already do when it comes to me, so you might as well join the party. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Tony said as he got inside.

Tony was gone before Steve could say anything else and Steve had to wonder if maybe he had damaged something with his careless words.  Maybe he had overstep his bounds? Would this cause his people to suffer? Would Tony take his support away from Steve after this? That night, the king did not sleep.

The next morning, Steve found Nat standing outside his home, a newspaper in hand and a look of worry on her face.

“Is everything alright?” he asked, but she did not answer, instead shoving a newspaper in his face.

The front page had a large picture on it. It was a picture of Tony, in his suit, simply shaking the hand of Steve himself, nothing truly special about it. It was the title that caught his eye. “Tony Stark: Earth’s Traitor!” Steve paused and read over the article quickly and what he found was both cruel and cold-hearted. The article talked about how Tony’s actions had not been an act of kindness, but an act of treason. How Tony deserved to be charged with treason for working with the invaders instead of against them. It spoke of his years as a playboy and party man, years of his weapon making and the accidents caused by them. How Tony was clearly planning to wipe out humans and replace them with Steve’s people. Steve was a little overwhelmed by all he had learned, but truly what struck him was how much this author seemed to loathe Tony.

“Do they all think like this?” he asked and she shook her head.

“The humans are torn about whether to support us or attack us. It seems Mr. Stark has been attempting to keep the situation calm, but this got through this morning.” Nat stated and Steve paused.

Did this mean Tony had been working to give them a voice? To stop papers like this from getting to them to keep them safe? To keep his people happy? Steve felt his stomach sink. Tony had been helping them, even behind the scenes and Steve had believed the worst in him. It was then Buckyline, “Bucky” as Tony called him, came running up.

“My King! Quickly!” Bucky stated as he pulled Steve inside.

He stumbled over to the TV that Tony had insisted on and after fumbling around, he got it on. The first thing Steve saw made him sick. It was a news report and in the video, he could see Tony, red and gold suit donned, furiously trying to outmaneuver a large creature. He was blasting it with all he had, but the creature’s skin did not even bear a scratch. The large serpent like creature whipped around and its tail hit Tony in the stomach, sending him flying.

“What is this? What happened?” Steve demanded.

“I am not sure. Some sort of mutant creature appeared and Tony has been fighting it all morning.” Bucky stated as they watched.

When Tony got up, his mask was broken and they could see his face on the inside. He looked nervous, scared even and Steve felt worried. Worried that Tony was alone, fighting alone, and didn’t seem to be winning. Steve knew he needed to get there, he could help. Steve straightened up and looked at Bucky and Nat.

“We are going. He needs us.” Steve stated and they nodded.

With Tony.

Tony let out a breath and darted to the side, trying to stay out of the fangs of the beast before him. It was a dangerous thing, twisted beyond what Mother Nature could do herself, twisted in only a way humans could.

“Jarvis, note to self; remove all funding from Dr. Shyman’s lab. All of it.” Tony stated as he darted to the side.

“Duely noted, Sir. Anything else I should note?” the AI replied, sounding a tad bit worried.

Tony was about to reply with something snarky, maybe about what flowers he wanted at his funeral, but just then a dark shadow appeared above them. Looking up, Tony felt his heart stop. The sky was being covered by a huge ship, a very familiar ship. One Tony had been working hard to keep out of the media the last few weeks. Now, it was floating above NYC without any warning and Tony was starting to wonder if being eaten by this thing was the worst thing to happen to him today.

“Yeah, Jarivs, can you make a note for me to order a hell of a lot of booze after this? Because I am going to need it.” He replied.

“Right, Sir.” The AI replied.

The creature he was fighting had paused as this new thing had appeared, but seeing that his prey was distracted, the creatures attacked, its jaws open wide as it darted towards Tony. He barely had enough time to put up his arms, waiting for the crunch and pain, but it never came. Opening his eyes that he never realized he closed, he stared at the back of the man he never expected to see. Steve stood before him, acting like an alien shield between the creature and Tony. He held the creature’s jaw in his hands, holding the creature’s mouth open and pushing back.

To see the king in his full battle suit, Tony was startled to see him there and startled with how relieved he felt to see him. The king shoved the creature away and it landed with a cry, giving Tony a chance to get to his feet again.

“Steve? Why are you here?” he asked as he charged up his blasters again.

“I am here because you needed help.” The man replied as he pulled what looked like a metal, circular shield off his back.

Tony eyed the shield with interest, wondering what kind of material it was made out of. He glanced at the ship again and realized that Nat was clearly flying it since Bucky was stand on top of the ship, a strange gun like weapon in hand. A sniper type huh? That worked too.

“You didn’t need to come. I got this.” Tony replied and the king gave him a look.

“It did not look that way to me. It looked like you were about to be eaten like a sandwich, though a very shiny sandwich.” Steve replied with a smirk.

Tony huffed angrily and looked at him with a glare before the creature apparently decided it was time to attack. The creature lunged forward and Steve was quick to jump it there, slamming his shield into the creature’s face. So the shield also acted like a battering ram huh? Tony could work with that. He took off for the skies, preferring to hit from afar and quickly. He flew around while Steve brawled with the creature, preferring to hit the creature with his shield and throw the creature around. A few times, the creature attempted to lunge at Tony, sensing him to be the weaker of the two, but several times, Steve got to the creature first, dragging it back to the ground where he continued to wail on it.

The fight was over after that, the creature just could not keep up and soon enough, it was over. The creature was thrown one last time and did not get up again. Tony floated over to it and made sure it was dead before nodding to Steve. The king put away his shield as Nat landed the ship nearby. Bucky and Nat ran over, both ready to fight if commanded to, but Tony was quick to wrap up the creature and soon the area was filled with police, firefighters and more. Tony was quick to back off, dragging the three aliens away with him.

“Follow me, we do not want to be here when the reporters come.” Tony stated as heflew up, ready to direct them to his tower as they entered the ship.

Nat nodded and flew them to Tony’s tower, landing on the roof when they got there. As they exited the ship, Tony sighed and removed his helmet. The suit was pretty badly damaged and would need serious repairs, but not right now. As he pulled the suit from his body, the pieces hit the floor with clanks and thuds, Tony find a lot of it was still functioning, if at a lower level than before. A cough caught his attention and he looked up to see Steve and the others watching him.

“Oh sorry about that. So used to being by myself didn’t remember you were there.” Tony replied with a blink as he chunked a shoes over his shoulder.

“Sir, might I add that you shouldn’t do that to start with? You will mark up the floor.” Jarvis stated, making Steve and the others jump a bit as the voice came out of seemly nowhere.

“You know I really need to remove that sarcastic part of your programing.” Tony replied.

“I will make a note of it, Sir.” Jarvis replied just as drily.

“Tony?” Steve asked confused.

“Ignore him, that’s just Jarvis. He’s a part of the house.” Tony said waving them off.

“Sir, shall I bring up the smokescreen for the ship outside?” Jarvis asked and Tony nodded.

“If you would. I would rather not have to answer questions about that at my next interview with Wendy Whatever-Her-Name-Is. Speaking of which, when it the next time I have to deal with her?” Tony asked as he moved towards the kitchen, patting Buttfingers on the ‘head’ as he walked past.

The robot let out a chirp of delight as it raced over to say hello to the new guests before moving to clean up the pieces of armor. Steve idly pat it on the ‘head’ too, probably not understanding why he did so. Bucky just ignored it while Nat seemed to watch it in curiosity. All around them were things of beauty and wealth. The room was large with huge windows and fancy furniture. Everywhere they looked, they could see obvious signs of wealth, yet it seemed so cold to them. So empty in a way their camp never felt.

“Your next interview is with her tomorrow night on the new Stark-phone.” Jarvis replied and Tony made a face.

“Great, I will be sure to be super late.” He replied.

Looking at Steve and the others, he raised an eyebrow.

“What are you standing around for? Want some water or something? Beer maybe?” Tony said holding up a bottle of water.

Steve nodded and Tony tossed one his way, making the king almost stumble over himself to catch it. Tony snorted and covered his mouth while Steve gave him a look.

“So I guess I should thank you all for saving my ass from whatever that thing was. Jarvis did we find out what that creature was?” Tony asked as he sat on the couch.

Steve seemed to take his lead and sat in a chair nearby, allowing Nat and Bucky to relax and sit down too.

“It was a gecko. Sir.” Jarvis replied and Tony choked on his water.

“Are you fucking serious? Oh, I am so taking away all their funding.” Tony muttered between coughs.

“A gecko?” Bucky asked confused.

A screen rolled down from the ceiling and showed a picture of a gecko to the alien group. It was a cute little thing and Tony couldn’t understand why anyone would want to mutant something so small and harmless.

“Apparently, a mad scientist can’t just stick to curing cancer or saving the whales, instead he decided to mutant the genetic code of a gecko for…whatever reason.” Tony explained as he sat there.

Bucky seemed interested in the gecko slide show, perfectly happy to just watch the screen change to different types and colors. Meanwhile, Nat suddenly looked around, like she was looking for something.

“This is quite a large home. You must have a lot of family for so much space.” Nat stated and Tony paused.

“Nope, just me. I’m the only one who lives here.” Tony stated after some time.

The aliens looked startled, amazed and a little confused. Steve leaned in a bit, something that he did a lot when trying to figure something out.

“You are the only one who lives here? Where are you parents? Your siblings?” he asked and Tony stood up, moving towards the windows to get as far away from them as possible.

“My parents are gone, died when I was younger. Never had any siblings and no extended family. Always just been me here. Well, me and Jarvis.” Tony stated.

A whine from nearby had them looking at Butterfingers. Tony gave him and smile.

“Ok and a few small robots, though I will take you apart if you put gasoline in my coffee again.” He said pointing at the little robot.

Steve sat there, trying to understand a man who clearly had everything and yet nothing at all. He had no family, no close companions who came to his aid when he was in danger. How lonely it must be, how sad. Steve had to wonder if this is why Tony spent so much time with his people. He had clearly been rejected by the humans he lived with, so was he looking for somewhere else to belong? That was clearly a thought.

“How lonely. Do you not get lonely here by yourself?” Bucky asked curiously.

Tony opened his mouth to reply, probably say something about how he was happy by himself, that he didn’t need anyone else, when Jarvis cut him off.

“Sir, I do apologize, but Ms. Potts is in the elevator and she is not pleased.” Jarvis stated and Tony groaned.

“Oh boy, here comes the storm.” He muttered as the doors at the end of the hall opened and they could hear the clicking of Pepper’s heels as she appeared in view.

“Tony Stark! What on Earth were you thinking?” the woman stated as she stormed up to Tony and pointed her nicely painted fingernail in his face.

“Lovely to see you too, Pepper.” Tony remarked and Pepper huffed.

“Do you know how much damage your little stunt did? How much it is going to cost to remake that street?” Pepper demanded and he sighed.

“I wasn’t exactly thinking about that while I was trying to stop a murderous gecko from destroying NYC, but please, tell me how much it will cost to rebuild that coffee shop.” Tony replied as he moved away and sat down.

For the first time, Pepper noted the three other people in the room and she schooled her expression. Steve could see the worry was still there under her mask, but he had to wonder who she was to Tony.

“Good afternoon, I apologize for my rudeness. I am Virginia Potts, the Stark Industry CEO.” She said with a nod.

Steve nodded back, but he still did not understand. Who was she? Why was she here? Why was she so mad with Tony?

“Your name is Virginia, but Tony calls you Pepper?” Bucky asked and she sighed.

Tony snorted and started to laugh while Pepper had to explain that her nickname came from the time she pepper sprayed a guard while trying to get into a meeting room to talk to Tony. The three aliens seemed rather amused themselves after the story.

“So why are you so mad at Tony?” Steve asked and Pepper sighed as she sat down.

“Because when Tony decides to be a hero, it’s Stark Industries that has to fix the damage.” Pepper stated while Tony rolled his eyes.

“But he saved the people, didn’t he? No one else was trying to stop it.” Steve replied.

“Yes, but they don’t see that. They just see the damage Tony causes to their street and their businesses. Things we then have to fix.” Pepper explained calmly.

Steve did not understand still. Tony had saved them, saved them from a creature no one had tried to stop. Tony had risked his life and they complained about it? He looked over at Tony, who was idly playing with his water bottle, his leg shaking in a way Steve had learned was a nervous trait Tony had.

“I do not understand. My people have always worked together, fought together, and died together. Do humans not have these ideals?” Steve asked and Pepper frowned.

“Humans are odd. We do have those ideals, but you would have a problem looking for people willing to do so. I mean we have armies of people who are willing to fight each other in order to protect their values, but it’s hard to explain.” She stated and Tony sighed.

“What she means to say is I have the technology, brains and willingness to throw myself into battle compared to some other people. I also have the better toys.” He sounded rather pleased with himself.

“But your toys were broken.” Bucky said thumbing to the scrap metal Buttfingers was still trying to clean up.

Pepper’s mouth dropped and Tony groaned, covering his face when she looked at him in horror.

“Tony! Your suit was destroyed?” Pepper demanded and Tony peeked between his fingers.

“Only a little bit. His teeth were stronger than expected.” He replied and she shot to her feet.

“So that’s it? It’s fine because you didn’t get your head ripped off? You just destroyed a multi-million dollar suit because you decided to play hero! So as long as you don’t die and we aren’t scrapping you off the ground, I should just be fine with this whole thing? So this is Afghanistan all over again?” she demanded.

Tony crossed his arms and looked at her with dark eyes. Pepper paused and suddenly looked very tired and worried.

“I told you, I have it under control and that’s why I made you CEO right? So that Stark Industries would live on even if something happened to me? Sure, I probably should have done it sooner, but no, this is nothing like Afghanistan. This time, I have the upper hand. Now if you are done, I would like to get my allies here back home.” Tony stated as he got to his feet.

Pepper looked a bit sad, her eyes looking away from him as they walked to the elevator. While they did that, Steve looked at Nat and then Bucky, they all knew they had just seen something they shouldn’t have. Steve was curious about this Afghanistan thing now. They had spoken about it as if it was very important and meant something to Tony and Pepper both. Steve decided then and there to ask Tony about it when he got back. It was a while later, but Tony eventually returned and smiled at them.

“Well, time to go, am I right? You probably want to get back to your people.” Tony said, yet there was something there, inside his eyes.

Steve stood up and nodded to the other two. They were quick to leave, but Steve stood there, watching Tony.

“Are you alright, my friend?” Steve asked and Tony frowned.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” Tony asked.

“Pepper seemed to make you quite upset. I simply wish to make sure you will be ok by yourself.” Steve stated and Tony seemed struck dumb by this.

“Steve, I am fine. Pepper and I have a long complex history. She’s been with me for years, but it is only recently that we started to have more problems.” Tony stated simply.

Steve didn’t buy it at all.

“What is Afghanistan?” Steve finally asked and Tony paused.

His hands started to shake a bit and he looked a little pale. Maybe he shouldn’t do this? Maybe he should wait?

“It’s a place in our world I visited there once and it didn’t go well. So anyway, let’s go.” Tony said quickly and before Steve could ask more, Tony called forth a new suit and was out the door in minutes.

Steve had to wonder if there was more to this story. There clearly was, but would he get the full story? Maybe it was time to do more digging. Steve followed Tony out and back onto his ship. Tony flew them back to the camp and the entire time, Steve thought about what he knew of Tony. He was a young man, in their alien terms, who had no family or close friends (he was still a little uncertain of Pepper), who had the world in his hands and suffered for it. His world treated him like a nuisance, yet relied on him for help. It was a confusing situation and one he could only imagine how much pain this caused Tony.

They landed soon after and Tony was quick to blast off after he made sure they arrived ok. Steve watched him go and there was a desire to go after him. Yet there he stood, watching Tony go and doing nothing to stop it. As he walked back to his home, he made a decision that he would help Tony in any way he could.

The next day, Steve woke up early and got a head start on his tasks for the day. As he worked alongside his people, he was startled to see one of the many Iron Man suits appear in the sky, this one much bigger than any he had seen before.

“Your Highness, I am here to request your assistance.” The suit said and Steve blinked.

It was clearly Jarvis’ voice coming from the suit and he sounded urgent.

“Of course, what can I do for you, Jarvis?” he stated.

“Sir requires assistance that I cannot help with. I attempted to assist him, but he needs someone who is physically there with him and I cannot. Ms. Potts is unable to assist and Colonel Rhodes is unavailable as well. You are the only one I have access to right now. So I will ask, will you assist Sir?” the robot asked and Steve nodded.

He watched the suit open and paused. What did he want Steve to do?

“That is perfect. If you could enter the suit, I will fly you to the tower.” The suit replied and Steve frowned.

He looked at Bucky and gave him a nod before he entered the suit. Being in such a cramped space was odd and a little uncomfortable. As the suit took off, he had to close his eyes to try and control his breathing. He had never flown like this and he find himself just trying to keep his head. They landed soon after and Steve stumbled out of the suit as it opened. That was never happening again as far as he was concerned.

“I apologize, your majesty, but please come quickly.” Jarvis’ voice said from the suit was it moved inside.

Steve followed the suit inside and down the stairs. He could hear what sounded like horrible sounds coming from a closed off door. The sounds got louder when the doors opened and Steve winced before the music shut off.

“Jarvis, I didn’t tell you to turn that off. That was the good part.” Tony’s voice came from across the room.

What he saw made Steve gasp. Tony was sitting on a table, shirt off with a large hole in his chest. Tony’s head snapped up and he stared at Steve in shock.

“Jarvis, what the fuck is he doing here?” Tony demanded as he got to his feet, his hands scrambling for something on the table nearby.

Steve was still standing there, staring at the rather large hole in his chest. He swallowed hard and had to wonder what Jarvis was thinking.

“Sir, I apologize, but this is more important than your privacy. Your Arc Reactor needs repair and you need someone to help you with it. Now, please.” Jarvis explained and Tony looked at Steve, hand clutching something to his chest before he swallowed hard.

“Well, I guess I don’t have any other options, thank you Jarvis.” He replied sarcastically.

“Always a pleasure. Sir.” Was the reply.

“Ok, Big Guy, come here and do so quickly.” Tony stated to Steve and he was quick to move towards Tony.

The item in his hands was an odd, glowy thing. Circular and small, it didn’t look like much, but the way Tony clung to it made it clear that it was very important. Tony’s hands were shaking and he looked very pale. The closer he looked, the more he realized this small item must have something to do with the hole in Tony’s chest.

“I need you to work with me. This is my Arc Reactor, I need it to survive. Long story short, I have metal bits in my chest that with kill me if I don’t get this back in my chest and soon. But it’s acting up and I can’t get it open. I need you to open it so I can check it and fix it.” He said as he held out the item to Steve.

Steve nodded and took the item in his hands. God it seemed so fragile. Steve could easily crush it in his hands if he moved wrong, so he took his time, making sure to do everything as Tony said. Together, they managed to open the item and Tony got to work fixing a small part before he closed it up tight. Tony looked at him and he was very, very pale now.

“Please, you have to help me put it back. My hands are shaking too much.” Tony muttered and with gentle hands, Steve helped Tony back onto the table.

He took the item, so fragile yet so powerful according to Tony, and settled it back into Tony’s chest. They watched it light up and Tony let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. As Steve stood there, slightly leaning over Tony, their eyes met. It was a simple thing really, but the gratitude Tony’s eyes held was worth everything.

“Thank you, Stevelousin. Thank you.” Tony said gratefully and Steve smiled.

To hear his true name from Tony’s lips was a wonderful feeling and Steve found himself liking that feeling. For once, Steve had helped Tony after all Tony had done for them. As he stood up, he looked at the bright blue light and wondered why he had never thought about it before. He remembered seeing something under Tony’s shirt when he was out of his suit, but never knew what it was.

“Tell me, Tony, how did you get such a device? Were you born with it?” Steve asked and Tony sighed.

“Not exactly. It was caused by an accident.” He said rubbing his eyes.

He sat up and looked at Steve before nodding.

“Come on, let’s talk. But first, I need some booze before I even consider this little story time.” Tony said standing up and walking towards the door.

Steve followed him and as they walked, Steve had to wonder what kind of story this would be. Surely one of tragedy if Tony needed booze to tell it. Steve had tried their human booze and while it did nothing to his people, Tony seemed to cling to it like a lifeline. They settled in the living room, Steve sitting across from Tony as Tony downed a glass of Scotch and then paused before taking another. Steve took a glass for himself, but didn’t drink it.

“It started with my father. Stark Industries was started by my father, Howard, to make weapons to protect the free world from evil. From there, the company grew to include making everything from cell phones to solar energy. I was born into this life, taught from a young age that I would take over the company when I was old enough to. Thing was, my father made a lot of enemies. A lot of enemies over his life. He was not the easiest man to deal with.” Tony started between sips of his drink, eyes looking off to the left, staring into the distance.

“My parents died in a car accident when I was rather young, leaving me to take over the company before I was mature enough to. I am not going to make myself out to be a victim, I’m not. I was a party boy, focused more on booze and women than keeping up the family name, so I let my father’s friend, Obadiah Stane, take over as CEO until I was ready. I finally took over in my twenties, but I was still too young and stupid. I made whatever weapon came to my head, no matter how deadly it was. I was trying to keep up the family name and it cost me. They dubbed me the Merchant of Death, told me I was killing more people than I was saving. They were right, but I didn’t really know anything different.” Tony stated.

“One day, I visited Afghanistan to show off my newest creation, something I believed would help end the war once our enemies saw it. But while I was there, my group was attacked and I was captured. During the attack, bits of scrap embedded themselves into my chest and in order to keep me alive to make new weapons, they cut me open and inserted this huge magnet into my chest to keep the metal still. That is what my Arc Reactor still does. It acts like a huge magnet, keeping the scrap from shredding my heart and lungs to pieces.” Tony’s hands were shaking again, the ice clicking against the glass now, and Steve felt pity well up in him.

“While there I met a man, Ho Yinsen, a true genius and someone who gave me the strength to keep going and not give up. In a small cave, with only scrap metal, I made my first suit. I thought I would just bust us out and we would fly off into the sun, but it was not to be. Yinsen died and while I managed to escape, I didn’t get that far. I thought for sure I would die in that desert until Rhodey found me. When I got home, I stopped the weapon making part of Stark Industries, reinvented the whole company, and thought maybe I was saving the world, but there was an itch under my skin now. I couldn’t let go of the thought of Iron Man and so I made my suit and then another and then another and before long, I had a suit for every situation I could imagine.” Tony swallowed hard, trying to wet his mouth, but it was no use.

“It was a joke. A lie I told myself. The enemy wasn’t outside my home, he was by my side. Stane was the one who had tried to have me killed, Stane was the one who had me locked away and Stane was the one who tried to steal my Arc Reactor, leaving me for dead when he was done. Stane is gone now, but the scars are still there.” Tony finished his story and the bottle before him and Steve’s heart melted.

Tony had been betrayed by everyone, from his own friends to people he didn’t even know that well. Yet he had come out kinder and willing to help those who need it. He made the suits, not for himself, but to help his world become better. Steve finally understood Tony a little better.

“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You have worked so hard for what you have and you clearly care about this world.” Steve said and Tony let out a scuff.

“That means nothing in this world. They will always remind me of my mistakes from the past. My party days and even some things I have done this year. I’m not a good man, Steve. Not even close, but I am trying. I try my best and quite honestly, I am just not good enough. I never have been. My father could have told you that from day fucking one.” Tony was clearly drunk by this point, his face flushed and the bottle empty.

Steve stared at the man before standing up. He placed his glass on the table and moved closer to Tony. Tony stared at him, wary like a wounded animal that knew it couldn’t get away. Steve knelt before Tony and smiled at him.

“Your people are strange to me. On my planet, you would be celebrated as a warrior, but we are not on my planet. My planet is gone, but my people are here and I know they would welcome you with open arms. They already like you, thankful for your generosity and care and I can say that I like you too. You are my friend, my ally and someone I would fight with and for. Tony, you are not a bad person, just a damaged one.” Steve told him and he watched as some small part of Tony seemed to shatter.

Tears rolled down his cheeks, but his cries were quiet and Steve pulled him into a hug. The man had been left alone for too long, left to his own thoughts and left to rot away. Steve decided then and there, he would not be left alone anymore. Tony passed out soon after and Steve was directed by Jarvis to his room, where he left Tony to sleep off the booze. The next morning, Tony awoke with a headache and red eyes. Startled by this, he wondered where Steve was, only to find the man standing in his kitchen, staring at his coffee maker.

“Please tell me you didn’t break it. I will literally kill you if you did.” Tony muttered as Steve smiled at him.

“No, no, I think I have it mostly figured out, Thanks you Jarvis.” Steve said looking at the ceiling.

“My pleasure, your highness. Sir is very particular about his coffee, so I had to step in.” Jarvis stated as Tony sat at his kitchen table.

The cup was placed before him soon enough and he drank deeply from it before it had really cooled. Years of coffee drinking had made him immune to burning his tongue.

“So why are you still here?” Tony finally asked when Steve sat down.

“Ah to be honest with you, Jarvis brought me here and while I didn’t mind it, I do not like your suits. So I am waiting for Nat to come get me.” Steve stated and Tony snorted.

“So you are waiting for your ride then?” Tony said between laughter.

Steve looked at him oddly, but seemed happy that Tony was laughing, so he left it alone. Steve idly sipped his own drink and made a face. How could anyone drink this?

“Not a coffee man huh? Oh well, you got more going for you than that, so I guess I can let that slide.” Tony stated.

“Oh? So I am a good candidate for mating then?” Steve stated and Tony choked on his drink.

Tony was about to ask what the hell he was talking about when he saw Steve laughing, Tony glared at him.

“I’m sorry, my friend, but it was too easy.” Steve stated and Tony huffed.

“I really don’t want to know how you know that word.” Tony muttered.

“Ah I have been reading up on your world. After all, if we are going to be living here, we might as well. I came across the word when I was reading about animals on your world.” Steve stated.

“Oh good, so you haven’t been Googling things.” Tony muttered and Steve looked at him funny.

“Googling things? Is that a bad thing?” he replied.

“Depends on what you are looking up. The internet is…weird.” Tony stated.

Steve looked like he was about to ask more about it when a shadow covered the windows. The ship floated just outside and Tony found himself a little sad. He didn’t want Steve to leave. He wanted the man to stay, he liked waking up and having someone, beside Jarvis, to talk to. Steve stood up and smiled at him.

“Would you like to come back with me? We could use your help and I will admit, I do not want to leave you alone after yesterday.” Steve stated and Tony felt himself flush.

“Yeah, sure why not? I don’t have anything better to do.” He stated.

“Sir, you have a meeting in an hour.” Jarvis stated.

“Like I said, nothing better to do.” Tony said waving him off.

Steve chuckled and watched Tony go. Yes, this would be the start, Tony would be welcomed by his people and he would help this young man heal from his wounds. He believed they could change the way the young men felt and maybe, just maybe, Tony one day would be able to move past his trauma. As Tony returned, suited up in another suit of his, Steve could tell that this friendship was worth coming to Earth for.


End file.
